Category Archives: Out and about

Long Time NO Blog!

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It’s been a busy couple of years since I attempted to play with my blog. Instagram and Facebook have been my play spaces. As I come to the end of the MA course, many essays have been written, and I’ve had the privilege of participating in producing international papers around peacebuilding. Finding a place for participatory art during the pandemic has been necessary. Moving forward, developing a participatory art practice is an area I hope to continue to explore, mainly focusing on developing well-being and community resilience.

I’ll update images and work over the next few weeks, as I have the privilege of facilitating sessions twice in November 2023. I’ll support a class exploring sustainable books form at The Fishbowl in Downtown Seattle on November 11th.

Later in the month, I will explore PNW torcs with the NorthWest Bead Society.

A New Year

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As the daughter of a teacher and Mum I always consider September to be the start of a new year and often for me the start of new chapters.

Our vacation on Mull was amazing.Day tripping to Iona and our single sighting of otters on our wedding anniversary made it especially wonderful.If you ever have the time and are a brave driver I would highly recommend staying at Calgary Hayloft.An amazing Air B&B complex with it’s own art walk, gallery and cafe.Hosts were wonderful.

While we were away my very talented hubby received news that his images are now a part of the Getty Image collection.

We extended our vacation with a last day drive up to Steven’s Canyon Road in Mount Rainier Park.This road is our favorite day out. A quieter side of the park where we have seen bears, love the bends and the views.The road closes in the winter and last weekend the snow-poles were in position reminding us this those days would be shortly returning.

Who wouldn’t be inspired by the view

 

Back to class

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Collage containing 10 elements.Inspired but my family supporting a member living with dementia.

Tip in detail.Origami paper gifted in from a friend.

After a wee technical hitch with the blog I’m back ! After a quick update of my CERT certificate it’s been a busy few weeks.I have finally reconnected with my alumni university in the UK, more of that in the future but I’m pretty excited about this first step in my return to Oxford colleagues and studies.

I have signed up with a previous mentor Larry Calkins to explore collage at Kirkland Arts Center.Collage is an interesting medium.Very honest for the artist but not always understood by the observer.As an English woman in an American classroom I see the world from a slightly different perspective.I’m not sure about sharing the pieces here but will probably edit this selection.The summer will be full of house decorating,visitors and cutting and pasting.

Art-tastic Evening

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Fun evening at my local children’s museum.Took along my new little echidna creation for company.I didn’t manage to save any pictures of the children’s art work so it would be great to hear from anyone who took photo’s.

Back from Auz

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What a fantastic trip a successful conference talk,family gold medal at the Commonwealth games and many memories made along the way.Here are some highlights.

Yarrenyty Arltere Artists- 21st Biennale of Sydney.MCA

Yarrenyty alter Artist.21st Sydney Biennale.MCA

Master weaver Ngarrindjeri.21st Sydney Biennale MCA.
Woven sedge grass.

 

Amazon Biodome Trip

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My birthday present early in March was to tour Amazon’s newly installed bio-domes in down town Seattle.The building provides an alternate environment for work and collaboration within the company.

As an Amazon wife I’m really interested in the occupational health of this specific profession.So much has changed with technology over our life time and it’s interesting to observe at first hand the interaction of technology, humanity and the natural world.

I built my first sedum green-roof on our shed in Wantage in the 1990’s which was a great success and currently enjoy my weekly volunteer gardening in our local botanical gardens.I continue to interested in the connection of gardening and mental health.

I have a copy of Gardening Vertically by Noemie Vialard in my library and can highly recommend it as great reference.

Stocked with mangrove habitat.

I love the texture of these primitive trees

 

 

 

February Fun

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Garden installation

Well that’s I made it the last month of being 50 !

I again helped to build the Seattle Arboretum Foundation’s award winning garden.I was asked to paint the piñata green to blend in with the design.I love working with Bob Lily and the team from the Arboretum Foundation.We have great fun and it is the best cure for my seasonal mood disorder (SAD) One of the nicest things is that Bob always gifts us plants and currently my deck pots have Blue Irises popping up at of slightly different blues from different builds.I’m also totally indulged by hubby and we always buy a plant or two to add to our garden collection. This year we have a white ribes and two beautiful  specimen witch hazels.We have also gained some kinnickinick which I’m hoping will do well.

Leigh ,my wonderful gardener, and I have big plans for the garden this year.We’re trying some live stack planting with a very vigorous ribes which was causing a visual obstruction to the traffic on the street.We used the cuttings to screen the working area of the garden.We’ve taken advantage of renewing the fences in the fall to make formal plans.I value my privacy so am exploring different screening methods , these also help our small birds hide from the Cooper’s hawk that nest’s across the road.

I’ve wanted to build in more bird and bug friendly elements.I really happy to see the birds beginning to court on our deck.Most exciting of all is our Berwick wren seems to have a partner so I’m hoping to see the population increase.I’ll post the new structures and elements as they develop.

 

 

 

 

Keeping On Keeping On

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Well the summer is nearly over but I have one last adventure up my sleeve.Something I never ever thought I would do.

As a young child I was bullied but the TV never judged me.I hid in many TV programs.Blue Peter was a fav.Music was always important in my life. One of my favorite orchestra pieces was the theme to Hawaii 5-0.

Next Monday I will be flying into the Big Island with my Hubby to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

F1 Salad bowl

 

Intellectual House

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This week I attended an event at the Intellectual House at the University of Washington.As a alumni of the fiber arts course I get regular updates of events.The Sacred Breathe series was in it final session and I went along to hear the storyteller specifically.

Barbara Lawrence-Piecuch uses traditional storytelling as a form of teaching for preschoolers to adults. She was raised on the Suquamish Port Madison Indian Reservation, where she continues to live and work. Lawrence-Piecuch serves on the Suquamish Tribal Higher Education Board and is chair of the Suquamish Tribal Elders Council. I found her creation story new and inspiring.

I also received a call for our local Salmon days festival for artists in the same week so will be using the inspiration from to inform my submission.I have no idea if I will be successful in my application but it is time to promote myself as a working artist rather than a hobbyist. I would also very my like to be able to fund my own studies early next year.

 

“All my bags are packed”

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Bellevue Arts Museum March 2017 Artist Among Us

Yep today we start packing for my month long trip to the UK.First leg will be with my graduated son,who has just completed his first of many degrees.

I will be heading back for a family wedding,both my parents birthday and a lot of travelling catching up with friends after celebrating my 50th birthday.I will also be gently exploring studying a Master/PGcert in Humanitarian action and peacekeeping as a distance learning program from Brookes university.I hope this will enable me to teach/ make art in a education environment in the US.

This was my sharing table at BAM docents meeting. As ever it was fun to share my talents with such a diverse group .I did leave the labels off as some of my piece are political.